Walking mine roof support



Aug. 18, 1970 Filed March 12 1969 W. WILKENLOH A- WALKING MINE ROOF SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 70 I 9,10 L :Lgk J 8 T o o C Fig.

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WALKING MINE ROOF SUPPORT Filed March 12, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 U U JU l2 WC) 1/ E41 "L "'6" f 6 Q1 5 Fig.2

In v en in r.- U/Mm. a (MIL-m o Mm m 6/} Patented Aug. 18, 1970 3,524,321 WALKING MINE ROOF SUPPORT Wilhelm Wilkenloh, Duisburg-Wanheim, and Manfred Koppers, Duisburg-Hamborn, Germany, assignors to 'Rheinstahl Wanheim G.m.b.H., Duisburg-Wanheim, Germany Filed Mar. 12, 1969, Ser. No. 806,566 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 12, 1968 1,608,288 Int. Cl. E21d 15/44 US. Cl. 61-45 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A walking mine roof support including two support units which can be alternatingly advanced with respect to each other by cylinder and piston means located between and operatively connected to the units and in which means are provided for changing the advancing direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a walking mine roof support including two support units arranged laterally spaced from each other comprising a plurality of substantially upright extensible and collapsible props and sole plates and caps respectively connected to the lower and upper ends of the upright props and respectively adapted to be pressed against the sole and the roof of a mine gallery when the props are in the extended position. The walking mine roof support includes further a pair of advancing cylinder and piston means respectively coupled to the units in the region of the caps and the sole plates thereof so that the units may alternatingly advance with respect to each other while the props of one unit are in the collapsed and those of the other unit are in the extended position so that the advancing unit is properly supported by the other unit, the props of which are maintained in the extended position.

Such walking mine roof supports which can be advanced without being connected to an element fixed in a mine gallery, for instance conveyor means extending along the mine face, are known in the art and in generally give satisfactory results. In order to mutually brace the two units in the upper region thereof and to adjust the direction relative to each other, it has already been suggested to arrange in the region of the caps of the units transverse adjusting cylinder and piston means extending between the units. Such an arrangement permits, however, a correction of the direction only in the region of the roof of the mine gallery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the above-described walking mine roof support so that the latter may be advanced regardless of the inclination of the roof and the sole of a mine gallery and without requiring special guide rails attached to the sole of the mine gallery or other structure fixedly connected thereto.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a walking mine roof support of the aforementioned kind which is composed of relatively few and simple parts so that the support may be manufactured at reasonable cost and stand up properly under severe operating conditions such mine roof supports are usually submitted to.

In solving the problems connected with a mine roof support of the aforementioned kind, the present invention starts from a walking mine roof support above-described in which the two support units are coupled in the region of the caps and sole plates thereof respectively by advancing cylinder and piston means so as to be alternatingly advanceable with respect to each other while the advancing unit is properly supported and guided by the other unit, the props of which are in extended position, and in which the units are also connected in the region of the caps thereof by transverse adjusting cylinder and piston means for correcting the advancing direction.

According to the present invention the two support units are also connected in the region of the sole plates thereof by transverse adjusting cylinder and piston means so that the transverse distance of the units may be corrected.

The walking mine roof support according to the present invention therefore mainly comprises a pair of support units arranged laterally spaced from each other and each including a plurality of substantially upright extensible and collapsible prop means, sole plate means and cap means respectively connected to the lower and upper ends of said upright prop means and respectively adapted to be pressed against the sole and the roof of a mine gallery when the prop means are in the extended position. The support includes' further a pair of advancing cylinder and piston means located between the units and respectively operatively connected to the latter in the region of the sole plate means and cap means for alternatingly advancing one unit in one direction with respect to the other while the prop means of the one unit are in the collapsed and those of the other unit in the extended position, and two pairs of transverse cylinder and piston means cooperating with said units for changing the distance between said units in direction transverse to said advancing direction and to change the direction of advance of said units, one of said pair of transverse piston and cylinder means being arranged in the region of the cap means and the other pair in the region of the sole plate means of the units.

With the walking mine roof support according to the present invention it is possible to carry out any desired correction of the advancing direction in the region of the roof as well as in the region of the sole of a mine gallery. In this way, the walking mine roof support according to the present invention may be used and advanced in any desired direction regardless of inclinations of the roof and the sole of the mine gallery without requiring special guide rails fixed to the sole of the mine gallery and without requiring attachment of the support units to a structure fixed in the mine gallery, for instance a conveyor.

The two pair of transverse cylinder and piston means are preferably articulatedly connected to one of the units and a pair of guide rails are respectively carried by the two pairs of transverse cylinder and piston means, whereas the other unit is connected to the guide rails movable in longitudinal direction of the latter. The other unit is preferably connected to each of the guide rails by a pair of claws which are spaced in longitudinal direction of the respective guide rail from each other and fixedly connected to the other unit. Due to this arrangement an exact parallel guiding of the units is obtained during advance of the units relative to each other.

Each of the advancing cylinder and piston means comprises a cyinlder fixed to the other unit and pistons movable in the cylinder and connected to the respective guide rail for moving the latter in longitudinal direction and the arrangement preferably also includes a rigid rod for each guide rail connected to the respective guide rail and to the one unit. In such an arrangement the forces exerted by the advancing cylinder and piston means may be trasmitted from the stationary held unit to the moving unit independent from the distance which is adjusted between the two units in the region of the caps and the sole plates thereof by the transverse cylinder and piston means. In order to avoid bending stresses in the afore mentioned rigid rods and to assure that the latter will be subjected only to tension, respectively to compression stresses in any position of the same, each of the rigid rods is at opposite ends articulatedly connected to the respective unit and arranged in such a manner to include with the guide rail an acute angle.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front view of the walking mine roof support according to the present invention;

FIG. 1a is an enlarged partly sectioned view of the portion marked A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken along the dash-dotted line shown in FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows C; and

FIG. 3 is a top view of the mine roof support according to the present invention with parts of the middle caps broken away.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the walking mine roof support according to the present invention comprises two units A and B which are spaced in transverse direction from each other. Each of the units includes a plurality, for instance four, as shown in the drawing, substantially upright extensible and collapsible props of known construction respectively connected at the upper and lower ends to caps 1 and sole plates 2 which are respectively adapted to be pressed against the roof and the sole of a mine gallery when the props are in extended position, while when the props are in partly collapsed condition, the caps 1 will be disengaged from the roof of the mine gallery. The props are movable between the extended and collapsed position by feeding, in a known manner, pressure fiuid into and out from the interior thereof. The two units A and B are connected to each other in the region of the caps 1 as well as in the region of the sole plates 2 by advancing cylinder and piston means 3 and 4. The cylinder of the cylinder and piston means 3, which are arranged in the region of the sole plates between the two units, is rigidly connected at its closed end by means of a transverse member 5 and at its open end by means of a flange 6 to the unit B. The piston which is reciprocable in the cylinder of the cylinder and piston means 3 is connected at its outer end by a cross head 7 to a guide rail 8 which in turn is guided for movement in longitudinal direction by a pair of claws 9 and 10 which are fixed spaced in longitudinal direction of the guide rail to the cylinder 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the guide rail 8 may be constituted by an I-beam and one of the lateral flanges thereof is partly encompassed by the guide claws 9 and 10. The guide rail 8 is connected to the unit A by means of a pair of transverse cylinder and piston means 11 and 12 which are respectively articulatedly connected to opposite ends of the unit A. A rigid rod 13 is articulatedly connected at opposite ends respectively to the unit A and to the guide rail 8 to thus transmit the forces exerted by the cylinder and piston means 3 from one to the other unit during relative advance of the units with respect to each other.

The cylinder of the second advancing cylinder and piston means 4 is in the region of the caps rigidly connected to the unit B between the transverse cylinder and piston means 14 and 15 which are articulatedly connected to the unit A. The transverse cylinder and piston means 14 and 15 are connected at one end to the unit A. A spacing means 16 is connected in the region of opposite ends thereof to the outer ends of the transverse cylinder and piston means 14 and 15 where as a pair of longitudinally spaced guide claws 18 and 19 (best shown in FIG. 1a) are provided which are connected to the adjacent ends of the piston rods of the transverse cylinder and piston means 14 and 15. The claws 18 and 19 are guided in longitudinal direction by a divided guide rail 21a and 2117 which is rigidly connected to the unit B. The piston rod 17 of the cylinder and piston means 4 is connected at its outer end to the spacing means 16 for moving the latter in longitudinal direction. The unit A and the piston rod 17 are connected to each other by a rigid rod 20 which is articulatedly connected at opposite ends thereof to the piston rod 17 and to the unit A so that the forces exerted by the cylinder and piston means 4 during reciprocation of the piston rod are transmitted between the unit.

The cylinder and piston means 11, 12, 14 and 15 are on opposite ends thereof, that is, on the guide rails 8 and 21a and 21b and on the unit A articulatedly connected in such a manner that the transverse cylinder and piston means 11, 12, 14 and 15 do not transmit to the unit A forces parallel to the advancing direction, but the transverse cylinder and piston means 11, 12, 14 and 15 serve only to change the distance between the units A and B. The force necessary for moving the units A and B relative to each other in advancing direction is transmitted through the guide rails 8 and 16 and through the rigid rods 13 and 20 which are at opposite ends articulatedly connected to the respective guide rails and the unit A. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the rods 13 and 20 include with the respective guide rail an acute angle and in this arrangement the rods 13 and 20 are subjected only to tension or compression stresses and bending stresses in these rods are substantially avoided.

The above-described walking mine roof support may be advanced in the following manner:

When the two units A and B are arranged side-byside as for instance shown in FIG. 3, then in order to advance the unit A relative to the unit B, the props of the unit A will be partly collapsed so that the caps 1 thereof will be disengaged from the mine roof, whereas the props of the unit B remain in extended position so that the caps 1 and the sole plates are respectively pressed against the roof and the sole of the mine gallery. Subsequently thereto, pressure fluid is fed in the cylinder and piston means 3 and 4 in such a manner that the. cylinder and piston means 3 are expanded and the cylinder and piston means 4 collapsed to thus move the guide rails 8 and the guided claws 18, 19 and thereby the unit A connected to the guide rails 8 and the spacing means 16 together with the unit A respectively by the rods 13 and 20 towards the right as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. The unit A is during such movement guided exactly parallel by means of the guide rails 8 and 21a and 21b and the guide claws 9, 10, 18 and 19 respectively. After the unit A is thus advanced with respect to the unit B, the props of the unit A are again expanded after the position of the unit A is adjusted in dependence on the inclination of the mine roof and the mine sole. Subsequently thereto, the caps of the unit B are lowered by partly collapsing the props thereof and the unit B is advanced by means of the advancing cylinder and piston means whereby the unit A serves as stationary support.

The advancing direction of the units may be changed when during disengagement of the caps of the unit A from the mine roof the transverse cylinder and piston means 11 and 14 are expanded to an extent different from the expansion of the transverse cylinder and piston means 12 and 15 so that the unit A will be advanced in a direction parallel to the unit B but in a position inclined at an angle with respect to the latter, whereby when after disengagement of the caps of the unit B from the mine roof and operation of the transverse cylinder and piston means to restore parallelism of the units A and B, the advancing direction will be changed. With the walking mine roof support according to the present invention it is possible to move the units in longitudinal direction parallel to each other and differences in the elevation of the mine roof and the mine sole will be compensated for so that the two units which are coupled to each other are not subjected to bending stresses.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of walking mine roof supports differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a walking mine roof support, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made with- 'out departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A walking mine roof support comprising, in combination, a pair of support units arranged laterally spaced from each other and each including a plurality of substantially upright extensible and collapsible prop means, sole plate means and cap means respectively connected to the lower and upper ends of said upright prop means and respectively adapted to be pressed against the sole and the roof of a mine gallery when said prop means are in the extended position; a pair of advancing cylinder and piston means located between said units and respectively operatively connected to the latter in the region of the sole plate means and cap means for alternatingly advancing said one unit in the direction of the cylinder and piston means with respect to the other while the prop means of said one unit are in the collapsed and those of the other unit in the extended position; and two pairs of transverse cylinder and piston means cooperating with said units for changing the distance between said units in direction transverse to said advancing direction and to change the direction of advance of said units, one pair of said transverse piston and cylinder means being arranged in the region of said cap means and the other in the region of said sole plate means of said units.

2. A walking mine roof support as defined in claim 1, wherein said two pairs of transverse cylinder and piston means are articulately connected in the region of one of the ends thereof to one of said units, and including a pair of guide rails respectively carried at the other ends of said two pairs of transverse cylinder and piston means and extending in said advancing direction, the other unit being connected to said guide rails movable in longitudinal direction of the latter.

3. A walking mine roof support as defined in claim 2, and including means for coupling said guide rails carried by said transverse cylinder and piston means to said other unit.

4. A walking mine roof support as defined in claim 3, wherein siad coupling means comprise for each guide rail a pair of guide claws spaced in longitudinal direction of the respective guide rail from each other and fixedly connected to said other unit.

5. A walking mine roof support as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said advancing cylinder and piston means comprises a cylinder fixed to said other unit and piston means movable within said cylinder and connected to the respective guide rail for moving the latter in longitudinal direction, and including means connecting each guide rail to said one unit for moving one of said units during movement of said piston means in said cylinder.

6. A walking mine roof support as defined in claim 5, wherein said connecting means comprise for each guide rail, a rigid rod connecting the respective guide rail to said one unit.

7. A walking mine roof support as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said rigid rods is at opposite ends articulately connected to said one unit and the respective guide rail and includes with the latter an acute angle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,362,169 1/1968 Groetschel 6l45 3,448,584 6/1969 Rieschel 6145 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,364,412 5/1964 France.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 248357 

